News Archive
16/5/2019
The last of 84 offshore wind turbines was commissioned on 15th May 2019 which has been completed on time and under budget after three years of construction. The final 7MW Siemens Gamesa turbine was installed in the Outer Moray Firth, around 13km off the coast of Caithness, bringing the site's total installed capacity to 588MW - enough to provide clean, low carbon energy to over 450,000 homes.
16/5/2019
At today's 16 May 2019 meeting of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, Councillors gave the go ahead for the Chair to write to the Transport Secretary on behalf of the Council, HITRANS and HIE seeking financial and technical support to enable the establishment of trial air services between Skye and Glasgow. In March the Skye and Raasay Committee met to discuss the Skye aerodrome, specifically operational matters, revised fees and the scope to reintroduce trial air services between the island and Glasgow utilising and upgrading the existing airstrip at Ashaig Today the EDI Committee also approved the recommendation of the Skye and Raasay Committee that an additional £170K of funding be provided to undertake further engagement with statutory bodies and for preparation work, including obtaining necessary licenses and upgraded airport facilities.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (May, 15th) sold 421 store cattle. Bullocks (258) averaged 235.0p and sold to 275.5p per kg for a pen of 363kg Aberdeen Angus crosses from Altyre Estate, Forres and £1,190 gross for a 631kg Simmental cross from Wester Moy, Urray.
The Highland Council is warning anyone considering buying a puppy to ensure they buy from reputable sources. Concerns have been raised that people are illegally importing dogs from Europe to sell without the correct health checks or paperwork.
Parking Enforcement is coming to a street near you. With the Decriminalisation of Parking Enforcement, and establishment of the Highland Council Parking Services in 2016, the local authority has committed to the roll-out of enforcement activities across all population centres in Highland.
Progress in the transformation of Inverness Castle to become a new visitor attraction for the city was marked today with the announcement of contracts awarded to the architect and the creative director for the project. The Inverness Castle project forms part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region deal.
14/5/2019
Legislation to ensure more child witnesses are able to pre-record evidence ahead of jury trials has been passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament. The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill will minimise distress and improve the quality of evidence given as it will be recorded at an earlier stage in proceedings for the most serious offences.
10/5/2019
The Full Sturrock Review Can read HERE The Scottish Government Full Response To the Review Can Be Read HERE Response to Sturrock Review on NHS Highland. A summit will be held this summer to consider what more can be done to promote positive workplace practices across the NHS.
10/5/2019
Insulation Kings are working in Thurso and surrounding areas , we offer Free Room In Roof insulation to Home owners who are off mains gas, have a room in roof (slopes coombes in upstairs room ) , fixed staircase leading to it then they will qualify. This work will save up to 25% on annual energy bills & add value to property! All work is regulated and company is fully insured.
9/5/2019
Motorists in Great Britain are set to save up to £6 million per year thanks to a new DVSA online service. This allows them to get a free copy MOT certificate if they've lost theirs, instead of paying an MOT centre up to £10 for one.
9/5/2019
Plans for a town centre regeneration in Wick have taken another step forward with the announcement of two further stakeholder meetings. On Tuesday 28 May2019, town centre retailers are invited to join Ward 3 councillors and Highland Council officers for a workshop exploring some of the key themes identified during the first round of engagement, which took place on 16 May.
9/5/2019
A new farmer-led initiative to drive low-carbon, environmentally sustainable farming practices in Scotland has been launched. Under reforms to the Farming For a Better Climate (FFBC) programme, a new group will be established to trail and develop ideas on farms which could provide practical, innovative solutions to help climate change mitigation.
9/5/2019
Latest figures show that in 2018, Scottish-registered fishing vessels landed 445 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish with a value of £572 million. This represents an decrease of 20 thousand tonnes[1] (4%) and an increase of £12 million (no significant change in real terms[2]) from 2017.
9/5/2019
Contract awarded to support design of social security assessments. A contract to design Scotland's new social security assessments system has been awarded to Deloitte.
9/5/2019
Scotland's new Deposit Return Scheme will include aluminium and steel cans as well as drinks containers made of glass and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic with a 20p deposit as part of plans to combat climate change. The ambitious scheme is based on successful international equivalents and will be widely accessible, with all shops which sell drinks offering deposit refunds to customers.
9/5/2019
Estimates of labour productivity for Scotland's onshore economy up to the fourth quarter of 2018 (October-December) were announced today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician. Key figures in the latest release are:..
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. The key findings of the statistics are: There were 17,251 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 March 2019.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (May, 7th) sold 6 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (1) averaged 207.0p and sold to 207.0p per kg and £1,200.60 gross.
7/5/2019
Community groups and projects can now apply to the new £11.5 million Investing in Communities Fund to tackle disadvantage, poverty and inequality. The fund encourages community-led development, design and delivery of sustainable local solutions addressing local issues, circumstances and aspirations - such as supporting out-of-school provision, providing activities and workshops, creating a community cafe and improving job opportunities.
6/5/2019
More than 6000 applications for Best Start Grant have been received in just two days following the launch of the Scottish Government's new Early Learning Payment. The payment is for children aged between two and three and a half and can be used for anything from children’s clothes and shoes to toys, books or days out.